Spool for yarn material



July 24, 1962 1. CINIGLIO SPOOL FOR YARN MATERIAL Filed Oct. 15, 1959 United States The present invention relates to a spool suitable for use in the textile industry and more particularly for the winding on of synthetic material yarns which shrink upon being treated with steam. Hitherto for this purpose mostly cardboard spools have been used which are destroyed under the pressure of the shrinking yarn and have to be replaced over and over again.

The invention has the principal object of providing a spool for the purpose referred to which can be used repeatedly. It is another object of the invention to provide a spool of the kind referred to which can reduce its circumference within certain limits under the pressure of the yarn wound upon it, and which after the removal of the yarn is capable of increasing its circumference again to a value corresponding to its original diameter.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent later from this specification and the accompanying drawings I provide a spool for yarn material comprising in combination: a plurality of longitudinal elements supporting one another resiliently yieldable and forming a practically continuous outer circumferential surface capable of reducing its diameter in operation under the pressure of yarn material wound upon it, and of resuming its original diameter after the removal of the said material.

The said elements of the shell are preferably spaced apart by springs interposed between them and are limited in their circumferential movement apart by pins of alternate elements engaging with slots of the adjacent elements. The guiding of the said elements relative to one another is preferably eifected by circumferential projections of alternate elements engaging in circumferential recesses of adjacent elements.

Preferably the said elements constitute a shell, in the interior of which a spindle is detachably arranged coaxially with said shell, divergent spreader bodies being slidably mounted on said spindle, and drive members being expandably mounted on the said spreader members and when expanded by them contacting the inner circumferential surface of the said shell and frictionally coupling the latter to the said spindle. These drive members are preferably formed by circular spring wire clips.

An abutment and guide disc may be mounted on the spindle and rest in operation on the adjacent end face of the shell. For example alternate elements of the shell are recessed at their end faces and the abutment and guide disc has radially projecting lugs each engaging one of the said recesses,

These and other features of my said invention will be clearly understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof given by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the shell of the spool,

FIG. 2 is a broken elevation thereof,

FIG. 3 is a cross-section on the line III-HI of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a broken elevation of the spindle of the spool, and

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal mid-section of the spindle illustrated in FIG. 4.

The shell of the spool, illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, consists of several elements, for example of light metal or synthetic material, which mutually support one another in resiliently yieldable manner. In the embodiment illustrated two different kinds of elements are used, namely broader elements 1 and narrower, substantially T-shaped ice elements 2. The latter have opposite longitudinal edges 3 which project into corresponding recesses of the elements 1. Into these recesses leaf springs 4 are inserted which tend to spread the elements 1, 2 apart. As will be seen, the elements 1, 2 of the shell of the spool offer a practically continuous circumferential surface. For securing the axially extending elements 1 and 2 in the axial direction, cover plates 5 are screwed to the axially separated ends of the elements 1. The cover plates project on both sides of the elements 1 beyond the adjacent edges 3 of the elements 2. In the cover plates 5 slots 6 are provided into which enter pins 7 attached on the end faces of the elements 2. By means of the slots 6 and pins, adjacent elements are guided relative to one another and limited in their mutual circumferential movements.

It follows from the foregoing that any pressure applied radially to the shell of the spool will reduce the circumference of the spool in that the elements 2 enter into the recesses of the elements 1 and in doing so compress the springs 4. When the radial pressure ceases, the shell of the spool expands uniformly again.

For the purpose of being wound with yarn the spool is fitted to the spool spindle 8 illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. The latter has discs 9 with conical faces 10 at its outwardly directed ends. Between the discs 9 and the ends of the spindle appropriately shaped discs 11 are slidably fitted which have oppositely directed conical faces 12 in juxtaposition to the conical faces 10. While the axial distance of the discs 9 from one another is invariable, the discs 11 may be made to approach, or move apart from one another in that one disc 11 is in screw thread engagement with the end of an axle 17. By turning the lower discs 11 (FIG. 5) by means of the grip 14 the mutual distance of the discs 11 may be reduced or increased. In the first case consequently circular spring wire clips 13 resting on the conical faces 10, 12 are spread out; on the other hand they reduce their diameter when the discs 11 are moved apart from the discs 10. It is then possible to expand the circular wire clips so that they protrude beyond the outer diameter of the discs 9 and 11 and consequently contact the inner wall surface of the shell 1, 2. The shell of the spool is then carried along by friction, when the spindle of the spool according to FIGS. 4 and 5 turns.

Above the disc 11 an abutment and guide disc 15 is arranged, which has radially projecting lugs 16 abutting the end face of the T-shaped elements, as shown in FIG, 2.

In order to insert the spindle of the spool according to the FIGS. 4, 5 into the shell of the spool according to the FIGS. 1 to 3, the discs 11 are moved apart from the discs 9, so that the circular wire clips enter into the grooves formed by the conical surfaces 10, 12. The spindle of the spool is then pushed in from above, the lugs 16 coming to lie on the T-shaped elements 2. By turning the grip 14 the discs 11 are made to approach the discs 9 axially, and thereby the circular wire clips are expanded so far, that they come into contact with the inner wall surface of the shell 1, 2 of the spool and carry the same along upon rotation of the spindle of the spool.

The design of the spool described is very simple and the latter is not destroyed even after prolonged use, It permits moreover an adaptation of the spool diameter to the existing conditions. While I have described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawing what may be considered a typical and particularly useful embodiment of my invention I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the particular details and dimensions described and illustrated; for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A spool for yarn material having a circumference capable of decreasing within set limits under the pressure of material wound thereon and of increasing to its original size upon removal of the Wound material, said spool comprising at least four juxtaposed radially and axially extending eleemnts, forming the spool circumference, means closely joining the remaining elements together for limited circumferential sliding movement With respect to each other, and leaf springs positioned between each pair of said adjacent elements for urging said adjacent elements apart in a circumferential direction.

2. A spool for yarn material as claimed in claim 1, wherein alternate elements have circumferentially extending recesses in the longitudinal edges thereof, and the remaining elements have projections on their longitudinal edges extending into such recesses and guided thereby in the circumferential sliding movement of said elements.

3. A spool for yarn material as claimed in claim 1,

4 wherein said means closely joining adjacent elements together comprises pins mounted on the axially displaced ends of alternate elements, cover plates fixed to the axially displaced ends of the remaining elements, said cover plates having slots therein engaged by said pins.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

